Africa

The global economy has been struggling for some time with surplus resources in search of a destination for optimum returns. The German G20 Presidency tried to address this issue with enhanced focus on strengthening cooperation with Africa. What are the policy choices for India? Together with Japan, India is committed to support quality and sustainable development through the Asia Africa Growth Corridor (AAGC). The time to walk the talk is there and the opportunity should be seized.

For the first time since the establishment of the Think20 (T20) process, Think Tanks from across Africa have met with T20 Think Tanks to discuss the G20 agenda and potential opportunities for Africa-G20 cooperation.

The T20 Africa conference was organized by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA), the German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE) and the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW) and was attended by 240 high-ranking delegates from African and G20 Think Tanks, African regional organisations, the South African and German governments, the European Union and the OECD, as well as other G20 engagement groups such as the Business20 (B20).

The conference provided a unique forum to discuss how Africa and the G20 could build alliances to promote sustainable development. Please read the communiqué of the conference co-hosts for further information about the outcomes and recommendations of the conference.

When they met in Hangzhou, China in September 2016, the G20 leaders launched the Initiative on Supporting Industrialisation in Africa and Least Developing Countries. It is certainly one on which Germany can build in the course of its own presidency in 2017. And hence, important that Germany sustain the momentum of this Initiative.

The German government has identified deeper cooperation with Africa as one of the top priorities for its G20 presidency. Against this background, the German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE) and the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW), as the coordinators of the T20 process in 2016/17, together with the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA), are hosting the T20 Africa Conference: Building alliances for sustainable development on 1-3 February in Johannesburg, South Africa.

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If you would like to contribute to the T20 blog please get in touch with Axel.Berger@die-gdi.de. Prior to publication, each blog will be subject to a review process in order to ensure a high standard of analytical quality.